Press Room

Eleven Organizations Form Space Policy Alliance

Washington, D.C., February 25, 2015 – The Space Frontier Foundation (SFF), the National Space Society (NSS), and nine other organizations announced the formation of the Alliance for Space Development (ASD) at a media event on February 25th in Washington, D.C. Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R) and Representative Chaka Fattah (D) co-hosted the press conference in the House Space Subcommittee hearing room in the Rayburn office building.

ASD (allianceforspacedevelopment.org) is dedicated to influencing space policy toward the goals of space development and settlement. At press time, the Lifeboat Foundation, the Mars Foundation, the Mars Society, the Space Development Steering Committee, the Space Tourism Society, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, Students on Capitol Hill, Tea Party in Space, and the Texas Space Alliance had joined NSS and SFF in the Alliance.

Charles Miller, Executive Coordinator of ASD: “We’re delighted at the support the Alliance—and the focused, coordinated, year-long strategy it represents—has received in the space community.”

Chair of the NSS Executive Committee Mark Hopkins: “NSS is proud to be a founding member of ASD. We see space as a place not to just visit, but to stay. The time is right to galvanize the space community toward a greater focus on space development and settlement.”

The Space Frontier Foundation’s President James Pura: “The Space Frontier Foundation sees the new Alliance as an important way to advance the central issue for the next era of space—the development and settlement of space as a growing contributor to human prosperity and wellbeing.”

Lord Martin Rees, member of the Lifeboat Foundation Policy Board and Astronomer Royal of the United Kingdom: “The Lifeboat Foundation supports the Alliance’s goal of creating self-sustaining space communities, independent of the Earth, as a critical safeguard against the worst possible disaster—the extinction of all humankind. Will self-sustaining space communities be established before a catastrophe forecloses the prospect of intelligent life expanding into the universe? We live at what could be a defining moment for the cosmos, not just for our Earth.”

Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society: “The achievement of cheap access to space is essential for developing the space frontier. The Mars Society is proud to be part of a coalition to make that happen.”

Howard Bloom of the Space Development Steering Committee: “Life has gardened one barren ball of hostile stone—the Earth. Now it’s time to turn more sky pebbles green. ASD is here to giant-step that process.”

John Spencer, President of the Space Tourism Society: “Humanity’s destiny is to spread thoughout our solar system and beyond. The key to this is space settlement. The new Alliance will accelerate this noble effort.”

Hannah Kerner, Chair of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space: “The one issue that unites and inspires all humans about space is settlement. Entire generations have been deprived of seeing humans walk on extraterrestrial ground since the end of Apollo. Young people today don’t just want this to happen in their lifetimes, but need it to happen in their lifetimes. I believe the Alliance will get us there.”

Joshua Jenkins, founder of Students on Capitol Hill: “It is efforts like ASD that give us the opportunity to positively affect the course of space exploration to serve as a beacon and inspire the next generation of future space students.”

Andrew Gasser, President of TEA Party in Space: “This is exactly the kind of forward thinking and leadership that space policy so desperately needs. The long term goal of settlement is something that all of us, regardless of political persuasion, should be pushing and working for everyday.”

Wayne Rast, Executive Director of Texas Space Alliance: “We at the Texas Space Alliance are delighted to throw our support behind the agenda of ASD. ASD’s legislative agenda will promote the growth of whole new industries in space—which means many new jobs in Texas.”

ASD is organized around three key goals:

Making the development and settlement of space a clearly defined part of why we are sending humans into space.

Reducing the cost of access to space.

Stimulating and accelerating the growth of space industries.

In 2015, ASD objectives include:

Incorporation of space development and settlement into the NASA Space Act.

Four immediate actions to reduce the cost of access to space.

Full support of the Commercial Crew program as requested by the Administration.

Increasing the utilization of the International Space Station (ISS) while ensuring a gapless transition to private space stations, with NASA helping with development and acting as an anchor tenant.

The ASD 2015 legislative strategy is a unified action plan that incorporates previously uncoordinated projects and activities, such as the March Storm (www.marchstorm.com), the August Home District Blitz, and other activities of ASD member organizations.

About the National Space Society

The National Space Society is an independent non-profit educational membership organization dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. NSS is widely acknowledged as a preeminent citizen’s voice on space, with thousands of members and supporters, and over 50 chapters in the United States and around the world. The Society publishes Ad Astra magazine, an award-winning periodical chronicling the most important developments in space. To learn more, visit the NSS Website (space.nss.org).

About the Space Frontier Foundation

The Space Frontier Foundation is an organization of people dedicated to opening the Space Frontier to human settlement as rapidly as possible. Our goals include protecting the Earth’s fragile biosphere and creating a freer and more prosperous life for each generation by using the unlimited energy and material resources of space. Our purpose is to unleash the power of free enterprise and lead a united humanity permanently into the Solar System. To learn more, visit the SFF Website (spacefrontier.org).